Berth attachment



Patented May 23, 1933 JOHN BREARTON', or savanna, rumors BERTH nrraornunnr Application filed February 4, 1931. Serial No. 513,442.

This invention relates to certain novel im.- provements in berth attachments and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

The salient object of this invention is the provision of a device for supporting articles of wearing apparel and the like in the upper berth of a railway sleeping car.

Another object of the invention, ancillary to the foregoing, is the provision of an improved construction of the character described herein which when not in use will be folded up out of place between the ceiling of the car and the movable wall section commonly associated with the upper berth in railway sleeping cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a movable shelf construction for use in the upper berth of a sleeping car which will eliminate the unsatisfactory hammocks now commonly employed in upper berths of sleeping cars.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a movable shelf construction which will support articles of wearing apparel and the like Without causing them to become wrinkled and which will serve as a convenient device for supporting toilet articles and other personal efi'ects of the occupant of the berth.

Other objects will appear hereinafter;

The invention consists in the novel com.- bination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the interior of a railway sleeping car showing apreferred form of construction of my invention arranged therein;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a sectional shelf construction embodied in the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of connecting units associated with theshelf structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of a modified form of construction of the invention; and p Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective View of certain units associated with the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 4.

It is well known to the traveling public that the usual hammock customarily provided in the upper berth of sleeping cars for supporting articles of wearing apparel and the like is unsatisfactory and inconvenient to the occupant of the berth. it is, therefore, among the objects of my invention to provide aconstruction which will be convenient in use and which will eliminate the need of the hammocks now commonly employed.

Referring now to the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and referring now particularly to Fig. l, 10 indicates the wall construction of a railway sleeping car in which a plurality of windows 11 and 12 are provided. Generally indicated at 13 and 1 1 are oppositely disposed seats which provide the supporting structure for the lower berths, and indicated at 15 is the movable wall section which provides the supporting structure for the upper berth. this section 15 being hingedly connected to the wall 10 as indicated at 16 in a manner well understood in the art. chains on which the sections 15 are suspended when in lowered position and indicated at 18 are the curtains commonly associated with railway berths.

'My invention includes an articulated shelf structure which may be mounted at one/or both ends of the upper berth. In this connection I provide a plurality, of arms 19, each. of which has a bifurcated end portion providing jaws 2.0 and 21, and these arms are arranged in rows as will be made apparent presently. Openings 22 are formed in the arms 19 adjacent the end opposite the jaws 20 and 21 and provided in each pair of aws 20 and 2-1 are openings 23. y The innermost arm 19' of each row' is hingedly mounted on the wall 10 in any suitable manners uch as by the hinge strucindicated at 17 are the .lOO

. portion thereof are clamps 40.

ture indicated at 24 and the arms 19 are connected to each other in a manner now to be described. The end portions of the arms 19 in which the openings 22 are provided are inserted between the jaws 20 and 21 and a bracket 25 is mounted over each pair of jaws. The brackets 25 are substantially U-shaped and include the bight portion 26 and spaced apart arms 27 and 28. Formed in the arm 28 of each bracket 25 isan opening 29 and a similar opening 30 is provided in the arm 27. When the brackets 25 are disposed over the jaws 20 and 21 of the arms 19 the opening 22 in each arm 19 is disposed in alignment with the openings 23. A suitable connecting element such as screw 31 is inserted through the opening 29, through opening 23 in 21 and 20, through opening 30 and secured at its inner end by means of a nut 32.

Provided in the bight portion 26 of each of the brackets 25 is an opening 33 through which a wood screw 34 is projected upwardly and these wood screws are screwed into strips which may of any suitable material such as light veneer wood. In the outermost strip 35 suitable screws 36 pro- Viding eyelets 37 or the like are provided and attached to the eyelet portions 37 are chains 38which are attached at their upper ends to the wall 10 in any suitable manner such as by means of screw 39. Rotatably mounted in the wall in the arcuated It is manifest, therefore, that the sections 35 provide an articulated shelf, the sections 35 being movable upwardly on the pivotal connections provided by the mounting of the jaws 20 and 21 and the arms 19 on the screws 31. My device, therefore, is disposed as shown at the right in Fig. 1 when not in use and in this position the shelf is retained in position by means of the clamps 40 which are rotated into engagement with the outer edge portions of one of the strips 35. In arranging the shelf for use the clamps 40 are rotated out of engagement with the strip 35 and the shelf lowered into the position shown at the left in Fig. 1. In this position it is manifest that the sections 35 are supported by the chains 38 and the sections 35 are prevented from collapsing downwardly by means of the brackets 25.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 I provide guides 41 each of which include a bight portion 42 and outwardly extending arms 43 and 44. Openings 45 are provided in the bight portions 42 and the guides 41 are mounted on the wall 10 in any suitable manner such as by means of screws inserted through the openings 42, and in attached position the arm portlons 43 and 44 project outwardly. Slots 46 are provided in the arms 43 and 44 and at their upper end portions these slots 46 terminate in inwardly extending slots 47. In this instance brackets 48 are mounted on the innermost arms 19. The brackets 48 include a bight portion 50 and jaws 51 and 52 and formed in the jaws 51 and 52 are similar openings 53 and 54. In this form of construction the innermost arm 19 in each of the two rows of arms supporting the shelf has one of the brackets 48 mounted thereon by means of a suitable stub shaft or the like'inserted' through the opening 53, opening 22, and opening 54.

Each of the brackets 48 has a pin 55 projecting through thefja'ws 51 and 52 thereof and secured therein in any approved manner, such as by wedging engagement, and these pins include outwardly projecting lug portions 56 and 57 which are inserted into the slots 46 and movable therein. form of construction it is manifest, therefore, that whenthe shelf is folded into posi tion to permit the berth to be closed the lugs 56 and 57 will slide downwardly in the slots 46 and when the berth is lowered the shelf will then be extended upwardly until the lugs 56 and 57 are seated in the slots 47 thereby permitting the shelf to be lowered into horizontal position for use. In this instance I may arrange the chains 38 in angular position as shown in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing description of my invention it is manifest that I have provided a device which will be highly convenient to the occupant of an upper berth in a railway sleeping car or the like and which will be simple and economical in construction and expeditions in use. I

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a railway sleeping car berth, an articulated shelf structure comprising a plurality of sections, means providing movable connection'between said sections, and permitting folding ofthe'shelf structure into an arcuated position, means providing connection between said last-mentioned means and said sections, supporting means for said shelf structure, said sup- 7- porting means including guide members disposed on the wall of asleeping car in spaced apart relationship, means for attaching said guide members to the wall of the car, and

means providing slidable engagement be- 1' tween said guide members and said shelf In this structure whereby said shelf structure may be slidably moved on the wall of the car interiorly of the berth.

2. In combination with a railway sleeping car berth, an articulated shelf structure comprising a plurality of sections, means providing movable connection between said sections, and permitting folding of the shelf structure into an arcuated position, means providing connection between said last-mentioned means and said sections, supporting means for said shelf structure, said supporting means including guide members disposed on the wall of a sleeping car in spaced apart relationship, means for attaching said guide members to the wall of the car, means providing slidable engagement between said guide members and said shelf structure whereby said shelf structure may be slida bly moved on the wall of the car interiorly of the berth, and means for supporting said shelf structure in horizontally extended po sition.

3. A shelf structure comprising a plurality of shelf sections, a row of pivotally interconnected supporting members for said sections, and members having attachment to said sections and having pivotal connection with said supporting members at said pivotal interconnections therebetween for attaching said sections to said supporting members.

4. A shelf structure for attachment to the wall of a vehicle sleeping berth comprising a plurality of shelf sections, parallel rows of pivotally interconnected supporting mem bers for said sections, members having attachment to said sections and having pivotal connection with said supporting members at said pivotal interconnections therebetween for attaching said sections to said supporting members, substantially vertical guide rails attached to said wall and provided with slots, means on the supporting members at corresponding ends of said rows guided in said slots, and flexible means attached to said shelf structure for suspending the same from the berth wall.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN L. BREARTON. 

